Toronto
#1 Entertainment Industry Event
Despite reducing the number of titles screed by 20 percent for 2017, the film festival remains one of the industry’s biggest and most influential festivals anywhere in the world. This year’s In Conversation With… series featured Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, and Helen Mirren, and the Festival Street gave stargazers plenty to do. Bell returned as a sponsor. Next: September 2018
Montreal
#2 Entertainment Industry Event (up from #3)
More than 2 million comedy-lovers attended the 35th J.F.L. festival over 16 days this year. Jerry Seinfeld and Gad Elmaleh co-headlined at the Bell Centre, and Trevor Noah, Jim Carey, and Ali Wong attended the 10th annual Just for Laughs Awards Show presented by SiriusXM. Next: July 2018
Toronto
#4 Entertainment Industry Event
The film festival, presented by Scotiabank, broke attendance records again in 2017, with 215,000 documentary buffs screening 228 films in 15 venues. The debut of the Food and Film series proved popular, with several sold-out events. Next: April 26-May 6, 2018
Edmonton
#5 Entertainment Industry Event
About 850,000 experimental theater fans attended 1,650 performances at 42 venues this year, when new sponsors included Safeway/Sobeys and West Edmonton Mall. New in 2017: the Random Fringe Generator, an online tool that selected shows for users. Next: August 16-26, 2018
Toronto
#6 Entertainment Industry Event
The awards broadcast returned to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in 2017, where comedian Dave Chappelle presented Just for Laughs with the Icon Award and Christopher Plummer accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. CBC and Telefilm Canada sponsored. Next: Spring 2018
St. John's
#7 Entertainment Industry Event (up from #8)
Between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators were expected at this year’s festival, which has a goal of supporting and promoting women filmmakers and takes place in four venues in picturesque St. John’s. A total of 42 films were scheduled for screening this year—fewer than last year but many of them longer in length—and CBC remained a premier sponsor. Next: October 18-22, 2017
